


Rooftops

by ofthesun



Category: Dear Evan Hansen - Pasek & Paul/Levenson
Genre: Ficlet, Gen, Suicidal Thoughts, Suicide
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-05
Updated: 2017-05-05
Packaged: 2018-10-28 09:40:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 819
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10828647
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ofthesun/pseuds/ofthesun
Summary: Jared finds Evan on the edge of what matters.





	Rooftops

**Author's Note:**

> Huge trigger warning for suicide. Evan is contemplating a suicide attempt and Jared talks to him.
> 
> I just faked a bunch of data for a chem lab so I don't have to actually do work, and I wrote fic instead. This hasn't been read over or edited because I typed it on my phone.

Jared wasn't looking for anything when he went to the roof of his apartment complex, except maybe a little space. His family's home had felt too loud, too busy with his mother's friends over, and he needed to get his homework done.

He dragged a chair up through the elevator, ignoring the funny look he received from the thirtysomething who lived one floor above him.

At the roof, he found sufficient empty space, and he settled in with his laptop near the northwest corner. He started working through an online reading, making good progress - until he was interrupted by a smash and a series of car horns from the street below. He startled, getting up and walking towards the edge of the building.

On the ground, a little economy car has t-boned an SUV in the middle of the intersection. Jared briefly considers calling 911, but then notices people leaping out of cars on all sides of the intersection, rushing to the rescue. He lets out a breath he hadn't realised he'd been holding.

He glanced around the city. They lived on the outskirts, but it was still a dozen times busier than suburbia. From up here, he can see into the centre of the city, all the cars and buildings, the people.

And then he sees Evan.

Evan, sitting on the ledge of the building he lives in, feet hanging down and kicking back against the bricks. Evan, who drives out of the city to the forests, climbing as high as he possibly can. Evan, who threw himself out of a tree earlier this year.

Wait.

Jared turns on his heel, scrambling together his things. He runs to the stairwell, pushing the chair down the stairs and running behind it. He throws open the door of his family's apartment and kicks the chair into the entry way, leaving his laptop on the floor just inside the door. He ignores his mom's confused call from the living room and slams the door behind him, racing down the corridor and stumbling down the staircase as quickly as he can. He speeds through the lobby, barely avoiding a series of collisions with the other inhabitants of his building.

He gets to the street and runs down the sidewalk, zig-zagging around people and running straight through no-walk signs. A taxi slams on its brakes and bumps him, ever so slightly. The driver screams at him, but he keeps running, waving off the incident with his hand.

Evan lives across the street and three blocks down. It's a three minute walk usually. Jared makes it in less than sixty seconds.

He slows slightly as he enters Evan's building, thankful that the doorman recognises him after a childhood of family bonding. He picks up speed as he makes it through the stairwell, racing up nine stories.

When he gets to the roof, he slows down and moves quietly as to not startle Evan. Jared walks in as lightly as he can and offers a soft-spoken greeting.

"Jared? Jared, w-why are you here?" Evan stutters as he turns around to face Jared, legs still dangling. Now, up closer, Jared sees how his face is red and blotchy, and tear tracks stain down his cheeks.

"I could ask you the same thing," Jared says, coming to sit down near Evan. He sits further away from the ledge, but close enough to talk to Evan.

"I- I live here," Evan frowns, confusion evident.

"You don't live on the roof, Evan," Jared snides, before thinking it through. He sees Evan's face fall even further. "I just wanna know why you're all the way up here."

"I just, needed to think about some stuff. Things. My, uh, my therapist told me to," Evan lies. It's not a believable excuse and both of them know it, but Jared's trying to be a little more careful with his words, seeing as though Evan is two inches from certain death.

"Could you come think about it over here?" Jared prods. Evan shakes his head.

"Leave me a-alone. Why do you - why do you even care? You only talk to me for your car insurance, I know we-"

"Evan," Jared says, quietly, "that doesn't mean I want you to fucking die." Evan finally turns to look straight at him now. "And I don't mean that when I say it, anyways," Jared adds.

Evan looks at him, his eyes weary and empty. For a minute, he looks so much older than seventeen, all the years of anxiety and trauma projecting into his face. And Jared almost gets it. Almost understands the need to end it.

He shakes out of it. "Evan, please." He extends an arm, reaching towards Evan. Evan looks at his hand like it could either kill him or save him, and he didn't know which he'd rather at this point.

And then, Evan steps away from the edge.

And it's okay.


End file.
